Kapono Cheruene
Travelled to 5 countries / regions
Written 24 briefs
I'm Laotian living in Vientiane
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Useful Info
Updated on Jul 13, 2019
Useful Info
Best way to get to the Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) in Vientiane
- The Buddha Park (locally called Xieng Khuan) is located 23 km from Vientiane's city center, so it's quite out of the way. Walking there is definitely not possible
- The most common way for tourists to get to the Buddha Park is by public bus #14. Tuk tuk is the second most popular way to get there. My recommendation is to take the bus because it's extremely cheap. A small number of people take taxis there but I don't recommend it because it's too expensive
- How to take public bus (Vientiane City Bus) #14 to the Buddha Park (I recommend this):
- Fare is 8,000 LAK ($0.90 USD) each way. Ticket is purchased on board the bus with cash LAK. When you get to the bus, don't wait for anyone to buy ticket, just board the bus and someone will find you to collect the fare. The fare was 6,000 before May 2018
- Trip takes 50 minutes to 1 hour each way, depending on traffic condition
- Bus departs every 15 minutes between 5:50AM and 6:00PM. You can find the latest bus schedule on the official website (http://www.vientianebus.org.la/City_route.php)
- Bus departs from this spot (coordinates: 17.962644, 102.615470), which is on a side street close to the main bus terminal (Khua Din Bus Station) in Vientiane. There are multiple bus stops here so make sure you look for this sign to board the right bus:
- Take the bus to its final stop, which is right across the street from the entrance to the Buddha Park. Keep in mind that the bus will make a stop at the Lao-Thai border crossing bridge (Friendship Bridge) before getting to its final stop in front of the Buddha Park. Most passengers will get off here at the bridge, but this is not your stop! You will know when you get to the Buddha Park, because there will be a sign on your right that says "Buddha Park" in English in golden letters
- The return bus leaves also leaves from in front of the Buddha Park. When you exit the park, literally walk straight ahead and cross the street, and you will see a little sign that says "Bus Stop"
- How to take a tuk tuk to the Buddha Park:
- While not as popular as the bus, many tourists also take a tuk tuk to the Buddha Park
- Tuk tuk will take slightly shorter amount of time than bus at about 40 minutes each way. You also don't have to wait for scheduled departure. So tuk tuk is a good option if you're in a tight schedule
- However, it's much more expensive. The average fare for tuk tuks is 250,000 LAK ($30USD) round trip. Some drivers ask for as much as 400,000 LAK ($46USD) round trip. If you're a good haggler, you can sometimes get this down to 130,000-150,000 LAK ($15-$17USD) round trip, maybe
- A single tuk tuk can seat up to 4-6 people, so if you have a small group it's not too expensive
- Your tuk tuk driver will wait for you while you tour the park. I suggest giving 1/3 of the agreed upon fare to the driver while he waits for you, and pay the remaining 2/3 when you're back to Vientiane
- Where to find tuk tuks to the Buddha Park: you have 2 options
- Have your hotel find one for you (I don't recommend): this is obviously the most convenient option, but you usually don't have room to negotiate and they will charge you closer to 400,000 for a round trip
- Go to bus #14 departure spot close to the main bus terminal (Khua Din Bus Station) and you will find lots of tuk tuk drivers offering you their services. Ask them their prices and negotiate to get to a reasonable price
- How to take a taxi to the Buddha Park:
- You need to ask your hotel to call a taxi for you because it's almost impossible find taxis on the street
- Taxis aren't that much more expensive than tuk tuks, and it's much safer than tuk tuks. It's great if you're on a really tight schedule
- A round trip taxi fare average 300,000 LAK ($35USD), and will seat up to 4 people. Agree on a fare and don't use the meter. If you use the meter it will be much more expensive than 300,000 LAK!
- Like with tuk tuks, your car will wait for you while you tour the park. I also suggest giving 1/3 of the fare to the driver after you get to the park, and pay the remaining 2/3 when you get back to Vientiane
- You can also ask your taxi drivers to make some roadside stops to get food and drinks
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Comments
I would recommend going using the ride hailing app DriveUp. This app also accept payment by card. Available here www.driveup.app